“One thing I want to stress is that experience is not at all a prerequisite, just a willingness to learn and serve,” says Ceasar, who’s responsible for working the lights on Sunday mornings.
When Ceasar started attending Hoboken Grace, he thought the people behind the production booth were paid professionals. Six months later, he was so intrigued that he approached one of the Worship Team members and was invited to attend a production meeting.
“I signed up and then trained and shadowed different team members at two or three services, and by the second service, they had me actually doing stuff,” he says.
Ceasar thought joining the team would be like volunteering, but he quickly realized it was much more than that.
“It was something bigger than me,” he says. “I don’t volunteer, I serve. It’s not about me, it’s about God’s message that we’re transmitting to people. That is what is the most rewarding, that God’s message is enhanced and brought to people in a different way.”
When Ceasar reflects on his life, he sees how his focus has changed since he started serving. “I no longer feel lost,” he says. “I have a purpose. I’ve had horrible weeks, but in spite of that, I still look forward to serving with the production team.”
His perspective has changed now that God is front and center in his life, he says. Ceasar used to stress out about things when they didn’t go his way. “Now I let things fall off me … my circumstances no longer have a hold on me because of serving and my connection with God,” he says. He prays more, too. It’s become something that he needs to do, he says, to thank God for everything He has done in his life.
Showing up at 7 a.m. on Sunday mornings isn’t always easy, though. Ceasar admits he sometimes feels like a zombie at that hour, so going on a coffee hunt and inhaling three cups has become routine. Still, he says he finds joy in being part of an amazing team with amazing people. “The spiritual energy is contagious,” he says.
Ceasar also spends Wednesday nights at 301 Garden, where he attends rehearsal and does all the lighting prep work. While the band plays, he programs the LED lights and faders with different color schemes, and tries to match the bpm (beats per minute) to each song. There is care and thought put into every detail. The programming even takes into account how Livestream viewers see the broadcast. And the lighting setup for the chalkboards onstage requires special attention — the lights have the ability to change the vibrancy of the chalked image.
“It’s awesome how we can change the setting and the mood,” Ceasar says. “The hard work and the detail that we put into it can make the message stronger.”
But as he said, you don’t have to be an expert to do it. Experience isn’t a prerequisite to join the team.
“If you’re scared of doing it because you’re afraid that you might screw it up, forget about that. We need you!” he says. “No matter where you are in your life and even if you don’t have any experience, we need you and you do play a part. If you’re on the fence, try it. If you don’t like it, then that’s okay, too.”
The Worship Team — Production
Mission: Our mission is to lead people to love God well by communicating His value through the arts. Production creates intimate and exciting environments with sound, lights and media to allow for the clear and beautiful communication of His value.
The commitment: Production members attend a Wednesday rehearsal and all three Sunday services for the weeks they are scheduled. They also attend a monthly all-team huddle.
Check it out for yourself: Interested in checking out Production? Sign up to shadow at a rehearsal! Sign up HERE.
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